Downsiders

Rating:
Summary: a book that makes you think
Review: I love what Neal Shusterman wrote in this book. The details he wrote, the time he took, even to the very map he drew of the downside, makes a person wonder about the amount of effort and thinking it took to it. He creates a world impossible, yet completely capable of existing. Such richness in a world would make any Topsider want to go visit the Downside instantly. Best of all is the perspective within the story. In a pair of human eyes, humanity is the opposing force, not evil. Though Shusterman claims that his "Shattered Sky" was the best piece of fiction he has ever written, I believe "Downsiders" is as equally a great accomplishment, if not far better.

If you're a teen who hates books, read this before you give up on fiction altogether!!!

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Summary: Beware: Mental Involvement + humor ahead.
Review: In The Downsiders, Neal Shusterman once again takes a major social concept and turns it into a remarkable story. (As in The Dark Side of Nowhere.) Lindsay is not your typical New York girl; she's part of the scene, but not really. What's more, due to some major bungling on the part of her engineer-father, she occupies a home that has, literally, a hole-in-the-wall. Her half-brother is simply a bane to her existence, her father barely even part of it, and so Lindsay is ripe for a good adventure. And she definitely gets it--with Talon, a boy she meets who lives in the Downside, an underworld that is simply out-of-this-world. Where is that? In the long forgotten, unused tunnels of the New York subway system. There is an entire society down there, comprised of humans who have built a life entirely different from that of the "Upsiders" but from their "garbage." (Oddly reminiscent of some otherworld... the ice-age? Refugees? Hmmm...) I found Shusterman's rich and fasinating description of this world and its people to be the best part of the book...followed closely by a terrific stampede scene. One thing for sure, the book is riveting...But as you put the book down, finished, you begin to think... We all want the world to be "ONE." But can two opposite sides of a coin meld together? What would happen to the coin? Should all the societies of the world combine? Would it be worth losing all the "richness" of the poor cultures...would it kill them off or help them survive? Another insight from this book: you really see how people in an impossible situation can improvise, and even create magic, in a time and place other people would consider "the dredges of the earth" and the end of life...the Downside. Read this book.

Rating:
Summary: UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Review: It was a stumble though the first few pages of THE DOWNSIDERS for me. I couldn't bear not knowing why everything was happening the way it was. But as the story progressed, a real treasure of a book emerged from the pages. Hopping from Talon's to Lindsay's worlds became a pleasure, and I the differences between the two lives was a wonderful backdrop.

Reading THE DOWNSIDERS, I lost track of time completely. But, after all, Talon said that "time is of low importance." That is entirely true in reading this book. You'll never want to put it down for the night when you begin to realize that any world, above or below ground, has something to share with all of us.

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Summary: Talon and Lindsay's adventures
Review: Lindsay is now moving into her father's untidy world, with her self centered brother Todd, in NYC. On a new year's eve party, she is surprised to meet Talon hiding in her bedroom closet. Talon's no ordinary boy...he is wearing what Linsay finally realizes to be "Topside"(which is unknown to her that there is obviously another place; the Downside) trash...she thinks him to be some drugged-up kid, and calls the police after spraying him with pepper spray, but she finds, after the pain wares off, that he lives in a place what is called the "downside": a city which lies beneath what is visible to the eye. He states that he was coming to Topside, a forbidden thing for downsiders to do and an extreme offense, something which he only did because it was necesary. His sister is fatally sick, and since they have no medicines of their own, he only hopes that she can help, as a last resort. Just before the police arrive, she sneaks him some medicine and he leaves in a flash. But he leaves a sock behind...curious to meet this boy again, she is on a quest to find him. And when she does, it leads to a series of events that can change everyone's lives forever. A clash of the two worlds could, in fact, be fatal.

Rating:
Summary: Hard-edged "what if"
Review: Neal Shusterman crafts an unclassifiable book: It's not really fiction, juvenile or adult, fantasy, science fiction, or even satire. Rather it seems to mix in a little of everything, with a dash of social commentary and a little comedy as well.

Fourteen-year-old Lindsay is not pleased to be living in an under-construction house in New York, with her brat brother and distracted father. But her life takes an unexpcted twist when a strange boy appears in her house during a party, claiming that he needs medicine for his baby sister. Talon is a Downsider, from a primitive civilization that lives in New York's sewers, believe that they have always lived there, fear the sun, disdain the "Topsiders," and have their own culture and hierarchy that is unaffected by the world above.

Lindsay is intrigued by Talon's world, as he is with hers. But when Lindsay ventures down into the world of the Downsiders, Talon's friend Railborn reports that Talon has committed treason. At the same time, the very world of the Downsiders is threatened with destruction when a new aqueduct is dug -- right through their secret underworld. The Downsiders declare war on the Topsiders, and Lindsay seeks out the truth about their mysterious past.

This is one of those books that could have been botched so easily. But Neal Shusterman manages to not make the Downsiders cliched or stupid, nor does he make their culture too alien. An old theater with prismatic earring decorations, the vow that all "fallers" take, the different hairstyles and clothing styles, and the hunter-gatherer lifestyle (no more alligators in NY sewers, now they have herds of light-sensitive cattle).

Shusterman reserves his literary skill for when it's needed. New York "topside" is paid almost no attention, detail-wise. But he takes great care in his crafting of the strange civilization below the streets, and describes everything in it with loving care. Similarly, his idea for the Downsiders becomes a little too evident too early on the book, but is well-done also. Humor is sprinkled throughout the book when needed; one of the funnier moments has Talon commenting on how amusing H.G. Wells' "Time Machine" is, as it has savages below ground and beautiful creatures above -- unlike his view of the world. The finale screams for a sequel, after a surprisingly pulse-pounding climax.

Lindsay has enough wit and brains to almost instantly endear her to readers. Talon is a fully believable young boy who suddenly has everything he was taught challenged -- and not just little things either. His anger and fear and dwindling prejudice are skillfully drawn. I'm not sure what purpose Lindsay's obnoxious brother served; he appears briefly and then vanished. The father is a poignant figure; his life is going down the drain (literally), and his loneliness is the base of his persona. The scene-stealer is Champ, a sharp old homeless man who lives in a luxurious home in a swimming pool. (His cryptic hints seem a little needlessly mysterious, but otherwise the entire plot would be given away before it was ready)

"Downsiders" is a sharp, tense thriller, a clash of cultures in the same city. It's a good solid read for any age group, kids and adults alike.

Rating:
Summary: OMG
Review: Oh my gosh! This is the best book ever. I just started reading it and it is like The Time Machine meets The cricket in times square. This book is funny, sad, and very adventurous. It makes you think about those people in your life who could use a smile their way and it makes you want to make a new friend. I love this book. The characters are so adventurous. I totally recommend this book for teens out their who love an addicting book.

Rating:
Summary: Downsiders
Review: The book Downsiders by Neal Shusterman is a fabulous tale of secrets, lies, and the fear of the unknown. A teenage boy named Talon was out on a mission with his friends completing their first few tasks in order to enter adulthood. They were patrolling the underground tunnels that they live in, looking for fallers. Fallers are people from the topside who the dowsiders save and make them convert into downsiders and vow to leave their other world behind. Including thier names, clothes, and memoris. During this task, Talon meets a topsider named Linsay and they become very close. Unfortunately, thier frienship seems to cause thier two worlds to collide into what the downsiders called a "war", in reality Lindsay's father was drilling into Talon's world and both their lives seem to crash and burn, until Lindsay comes top the rescue.

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Summary: Mole People
Review: The premise of the book is fantastic. Lindsay, a girl who has recently moved to live with her father in New York, stumbles across Talon, a boy who lives underneath New York City. In a friendship that grows Lindsay learns about the world of the mole people or downsiders from Talon. Talon comes to learn of the topside world because of the relationship as well. But what may seem to be an innocent friendship at first could be the pin of a grenade that is pulled resulting in a war of downsiders against topsiders.

The book does have a rich premise, with wonderful details, and charming characters... but it suffers from having an implausible group of cows running through the underground of New York and a weak ending. Downsiders, is a good book that Shusterman and his editor should have spent more time on in order to make it a great one.

Crazy James

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Summary: NO DOWNSIDE..er...BAD SIDE TO THIS EXCELLENT NOVEL!
Review: The start of this book may be somewhat like starting "The Giver." Here you have it (if you haven't gathered by the cover), a community, this one UNDER THE STREETS OF NEW YORK, that is choc-full of unusual rules, customs, & traditions, simply because they have not lived by anything else. In this book, you, the Topsider (I mean, HOPEFULLY you're a Topsider...) are an evil person. The surface that you live on is never to be touched. The white things that come from the sky are poison. Why do you live in so much light? We are forbidden to go near your surface, for you are evil.

(FYI, just to clear this up, the Downsiders aren't evil)

From ages 12-16, you go on three month shifts with a group of three. On the Hunting shift, you take people from the High Perimeter area, make them leave everything behind, including their name; and they become a "faller," a new member of this well-hidden community. One day, Talon brings a faller that hasn't finished all of the requirements.....

I will leave you with that starter right there. The back of the book, in this case, reveals to much of the plot. It would be better to fully read the teaser after about halfway through the book.

Anyways, this is a great & gripping novel. Here's some things that I really liked about it:
-In most books, you can tell what the climatic scene is going to be. But reading this, I had NO CLUE as to what was coming.
-I really enjoyed the scene where _ _ _ _ _ goes to the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _. Shusterman explains these otherwise ordinary things as if _ _ _ _ _ , or you, were exploring an alien world. This message is defiitely something that we should ponder. Shusterman's point(s) is(/are) worth thinking about because he describes this scene so wonderfuly. It is a great reminder to be thankful for what we have.

If you have read all of this jumble, or if you haven't, here's the bottom line: BUY THIS BOOK!!!

If time is of low importance, why do I have to get off of the computer?.....read it you'll understand.

Rating:
Summary: original...
Review: There's something about the thought of a parallel world existing alongside of our own that has always attracted me. This is a wonderful portrayal of that, written with a sense of humour, but not without a dark side to the story.

The two worlds meet when 14 year old Lindsay meets a boy called Talon who is from the Downside. Although Downsiders have strict rules about not mixing with Topsiders or even going Topside at all, Talon decides that he has to go on a Topside raid when his younger sister is sick and only Topside medicine will save her.

Lindsay's father, who is an engineer working on building a new aqueduct in the city (New York), accidentally stumbles on the Downside. Although nobody realises what he has found, the Downsiders now feel that they are at war for their existence, and decide to teach the Topside world a lesson for invading the Downside.

This is a fast paced story, written with humour, that builds to a very satisfying conclusion. If you read and enjoyed this, and are ready for something a little heavier (and longer), try "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. Believe it or not, there are Downsiders in London as well as in New York.